Judea · OT & NT
Mount of Olives
The ridge east of Jerusalem from which Jesus wept over the city and ascended to heaven.
Today: East Jerusalem
The Mount of Olives is a limestone ridge running north-south for about two miles, just east of the Old City of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. It rises about 200 feet above the temple mount and was anciently covered with olive groves.
David fled over the Mount of Olives weeping during Absalom's revolt. Zechariah 14:4 prophesies that the Lord's feet will stand there in the day of his return. Jesus taught the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25) on its slopes, prayed in Gethsemane at its foot, and ascended to heaven from its summit.
Key verses
"And David went up by the ascent of themount ofOlives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered, and went barefoot: and all the people that were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up."
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"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south."
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"And as he was now drawing nigh, even at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen; saying, Blessed is the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from the multitude said unto him, Teacher, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said, I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out. And when he drew nigh, he saw the city and wept over it,"
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"And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"
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"And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they were looking stedfastly into heaven as he went, behold two men stood by them in white apparel; who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? this Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is nigh unto Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey off."
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